>> THE JOURNALIST ROUND TABLE LOOKS AT THE GOVERNOR'S FIGHT WITH ARIZONA EDUCATORS OVER COVID MITIGATION EFFORTS.

ONION CITE NEWS THE COYOTES NEED A NEW HOME AFTER THIS SEASON.

AND LOCAL CITIES SHOWING INTEREST.

ON BREAK IT DOWN HOW LONG HAUL COVID SYMPTOMS ARE EFFECTING ATHLETES.

>> WELCOME TO ARIZONA HORIZON.

I'M TED SIMON.

THE STATE REPORTED 53 NEW COVID-RELATED FATALITY, AND IT KEEPS ARIZONA RANKED FOURTH HIGHEST.

AS FOR HOSPITALIZATIONS THEY WERE SLIGHTLY DOWN.

THE NUMBER OF U.S.

NURSING HOMES COVID IS ON THE INCREASE.

REPORTING AN UP TAKE IN REQUESTS FOR VACCINES IN RECENT WEEKS.

EARLIER THIS WEEK PRESIDENT BIDEN SAID NURSING HOMES MUST HAVE VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS IN ORDER TO CONTINUE RECEIVING MEDICARE AND MEDICAID FUNDING.

>>> MIGRANTS ATTEMPTING TO ENTER THE U.S. MAY BE FORCED TO WAIT THEIR COURT DATE IN MEXICO.

THE FEDERAL JUDGE RULED THAT BIDEN DIDN'T DO THE CORRECT PROCEDURES TO AVOID A RULING AND MEXICANS WERE TAKEN TO SQUALOR CONDITIONS IN MEXICO.

CHANGING 10% OF YOUR FOOD INTAKE FROM PROCESSED MEATS TO FRUIT AND VEGETABLES WOULD GIVE YOU EXTRA 48 MINUTES A DAY.

A SERVING OF NUTS COULD GIVE YOU EXTRA 26 MINUTES A DAY.

A HOT DOG, NOT GOOD.

COULD COST YOU 36 MINUTES OF HEALTHY LIFE.

>> TIME NOW FOR THE JOURNALISTS ROUND TABLE AND FOR A LOOK YET AT ANOTHER VERY BUSY WEEK IN THE NEWS.

WE REMAIN JEREMY AND MARY JOE.

GOOD TO HAVE YOU BOTH HERE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

WE'LL START WITH YOU, AND WE'LL START WITH THE GOVERNOR AND HIS NEVER-ENDING BATTLE IT SEEMS WITH ARIZONA SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

>> THE GOVERNOR--PEOPLE WHO OPPOSE THE MASKED MANDATES GOVERNOR DUCEY TRIED SOMETHING NEW THIS WEEK.

WHICH IS TO INCENTIVIZE SCHOOLS FROM REQUIRING MASKS OR REQUIRING CHILDREN WHO HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO COVID TO QUARANTINE, AND IS DANGLING $163 MILLION IN FEDERAL COVID RELIEF MONEY FOR DISTRICTS WHO ARE OBEYING THE LAW AND FOLLOWING THE LAW.

NO MARKED MANDATES.

NO QUARANTINE REQUIREMENTS.

>> AS OF AUGUST 27TH, THERE IS NO LAW THAT SAYS SCHOOL DISTRICTS CANNOT IMPOSE MASK MANDATES.

I ASKED WHY THEY PICKED THAT DAY BECAUSE THE LAW THAT BANS MASK MANDATES TAKES EFFECTS SEPTEMBER 29TH.

THEY SAID WELL, AUGUST 27TH SEEMS LIKE ENOUGH TIME FOR DISTRICTS TO GET THEIR POLICIES IN ORDER.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS JUST A LOOPHOLE IF ANYONE WANTS TO PLAY THAT GAME.

WE'RE MEETING THE LAW RIGHT NOW AND MAY FALL OUT OF COMPLIANCE ON SEPTEMBER 29TH, BUT THE DATES ARE NOT MATCHING UP.

>> IS THIS LEGAL TO USE COVID RELIEF FUNDS, IS IT LEGAL TO BE USING IT IN THIS FASHION?

>> WELL, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SEEMS TO BE SUGGESTING THAT IT IS NOT.

THERE WERE LETTERS SENT TO THE GOVERNOR AND HIS SUPERINTENDENT.

MAYBE ITS SABER RATTLING.

>> THE SENATOR CAME OUT AND LAMBASTED THE GOVERNOR OVER THE FUNDS.

THE GOVERNOR DOUBLE DOWN AND THEN USED IT IN A WAY TO SAY THAT IF YOUR CHILD IS GOING TO SCHOOLS-- >> EN EXTENSION OF THE ESA, VOUCHERS THAT ALLOW STUDENTS WHO MEET CERTAIN CONDITIONS TO LEAVE THEIR SCHOOLS AND GET THIS VOUCHER-THEY CAN USE IT FOR PRIVATE SCHOOL TUITION, TUTORING, BUT TAKING THIS MONEY IF YOU'RE IN A SCHOOL WITH THIS MASK MANDATE THEN YOU CAN GET THIS MONEY AS WELL WHICH GOES BACK TO THE POLICY TO DISINCENTIVIZE FOLKS FROM PASSING THESE MANDATES.

THIS IS ALL GOOD AND WELL IF YOU HAVE A SCHOOL OF MANDATES AND YOU DON'T WANT YOUR KID TO WEAR A MASK.

IF YOU HAVE A KID, AND YOU WANT THAT STUDENT TO WEAR A MASK AND OTHERS TO WEAR A MASK SO THEY DON'T TRANSMIT THE VIRUS TO YOUR CHILD, YOU'RE OUT OF LUCK.

WHEN WE TALKED TO THE GOVERNOR, HE EMIN A SIZED REPEATEDLY.

IF YOUR KID WEARS A MASK, YOUR KID CAN WEAR A MASK.

THAT'S THE PARENT'S CHOICE.

BUT IF YOUR KID IS WEARING A MASK, AND THE KID SITTING NEXT TO YOUR KID ISN'T AND HAS COVID, UNLESS YOU WANT TO SEND YOUR CHILD TO A SCHOOL THAT IS REQUIRING MASKS AS LONG AS THE GOVERNOR GETS HIS WAY THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO IF YOU WANT TO ENSURE THAT YOUR CHILD IS SAFE.

>> WELL, THAT BRINGS THIS COUCHER PROGRAM THAT HE'S PROPOSING, THERE ARE LOTS OF QUESTIONS ABOUT IT.

WE'LL SEE WHERE THAT GOES, BUT THE GOVERNOR KEEPS SIDE STEPPING QUESTIONS.

I WILL POINT OUT THAT IT WAS JUST IN APRIL.

WHAT HAS CHANGED FROM APRIL TO NOW.

CERTAINLY WE HAVE THE CHOICE.

BUT CHOICE HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME BEFORE APRIL.

SO WHAT HAPPENED?

TO TRUMP THIS IDEA OF HAVING MASKS AS A MANDATORY.

>> HOW ARE SCHOOLS REACTING?

I THINK I SAW CHANDLER UNIFIED DISTRICT.

THEY SAID WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO THIS BECAUSE THEY NEED THE MONEY.

>> THAT APPLIES TO A LIMITED NUMBER OF DISTRICTS AND CHATTERS.

>> THIS ISN'T THE BEST WAY TO DO THINGS.

>> SHOULD ME HAVE KNOWN THIS.

>> THEY DEFINITELY SHOULD HAVE.

THEY HAD LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL FOR PEOPLE WHO DRAFT THE LAWS FOR THE LAWMAKERS.

ANY BALLOT INITIATIVE CAMPAIGN CAN SUBMIT THE LANGUAGE AND MAKE SURE THAT PARTS ARE NOT GOING TO CONFLICT.

THE CAMPAIGN DIDN'T ADDRESS IT.

THEY FORKED HEAD.

AND NOW IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE PAYING THE PRICE.

>> GO AHEAD, MARY JO.

>> THIS STILL RAISES THE ISSUES IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE SPENDING CAMP.

WE'RE JUST UP AGAINST THAT CAP.

NOW IT HAS BEEN RAISED IN THE PAST, I'M TOLD, PROP 301 ANOTHER VOTER MEASURE, THE SALES TAX INCREASE, THAT ONE THE LANGUAGE OF THE BILLS.

>> THERE ARE SOME IMPLICATIONS.

THE RULING WAS A STATUTE CANNOT OVERRIDE THE OBLIGATION.

THERE WERE FAR REACHING IMPLICATIONS.

>> THE COURT RULES, THE SENATE WILL HAVE TO TURN THINGS OVER.

IF YOU DON'T HAVE THEM FIND THEM.

GET THEM, TURN THEM OVER TO THE PUBLIC.

ANY SURPRISE HERE?

>> NOT REALLY.

BASED ON WHAT WE SAW IN THE TRIAL COURT.

THEY WENT TO THE COURT OF APPEALS.

MADE THEIR ARGUMENTS.

IT DOES NOT MATTER IF THEY'RE IN THE CYBER HANDS.

IF THEY HAVE THAT, THEN THE PUBLIC RECORDS WE CAN ALL REQUEST, WE HAVE ALL TRIED, MOST OF US.

I'M NOT SURE WHAT ARGUMENT REMAINS TO SAY THAT THESE AREN'T PUBLIC RECORDS.

IF THE SENATE HAD DONE THIS THEMSELVES, THESE ARE UNQUESTIONABLY THE PUBLIC RECORD.

THE ISSUE IS CAN YOU CIRCUMVENT THAT.

>> MARY JOE, AND KEEPING IN THE COURTROOM AND KEEPING WITH THIS AUDIT, MARICOPA COUNTY FILED YOU MESSED UP WITH THE ELECTION MACHINES.

WE WANT THE MONEY.

>> WE'LL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DAMAGE TO THE MACHINES.

HERE COMES THIS NOTE.

THE SENATE CONTENTION IS THAT THE MACHINES AREN'T DAMAGED, BUT THEY'RE HEADED TO THE YOUNG YARD.

>> IT WAS CALLED A PUBLICITY STUNT.

>> I THINK THE SENATE IS GOING TO GET STUCK PAYING IT.

IT'S A PRECURSOR TO A LAWSUIT.

THEY HAVE TIME TO WORK OUT THIS DEAL.

BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THE SENATE COULD BE ON THE HOOK.

>> WHEN YOU SIGN THE INDEMOCRAT ANIFICATION IT COMES DOWN THE PIKE.

>> IN THE END, I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO BE UP TO THE SENATE.

>> YOU CAN STILL USE THESE MACHINES AND CONSIDER CYBER NINJAS AS A CREDIBLE, EXPERIENCED, AND QUALIFIED AUDIT OPERATION.

IT SOUNDS LIKE THE FINAL REPORT IS GOING TO BE RELEASED TO THE SENATE, THE SENATE TEAM WHATEVER THAT MEANS ON MONDAY.

THEN THEY'LL DO WHAT WITH IT BEFORE IT'S RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC.

>> THIS IS A DRAFT.

I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHO THE SENATE WILL REVIEW IT.

BUT THEY'RE THE ONE WHO IS ASKED FOR THE REVIEW.

THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT, AND SEE IF THERE ARE TO QUESTIONS THAT THEY WANT ANSWERED.

>> IF THAT WILL BE SHARED MORE WIDELY.

WE'LL MAKE MORE TWEAKS AND WHEN THIS MIGHT BECOME PUBLIC.

UNTIL THEY GET THAT, THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO MAKE THAT FINAL REPORT ON THIS AUDIT.

THEY'RE NOT SURE, BUT THAT REPORT COULD COME OUT WITHIN A MATTER OF DAYS.

>> LET'S WRAP THIS UP.

IT SOUND LIKE AN AUDIT OF THE AUDIT.

IF YOU GO OVER IT BEFORE YOU RELEASE THE FINAL REPORT, NO ONE--NO TRUST UPON NO TRUST.

>> ONCE THE FINAL REPORT COMES OUT, WE HAVE TO FACE THE FACT THAT WE HAVE TO ASK THE QUESTION WHO WILL BELIEVE THESE FINDINGS.

IF YOU BELIEVE THAT THE ELECTION WAS RISKED ALREADY, MOST PEOPLE--THIS THING HAS BEEN SO PLAGUED BY PROBLEMS BEFORE IT WAS STARTED.

EVERY WEEK, ALMOST EVERY DAY THERE IS SOMETHING NEW.

THE LACK OF QUALIFICATION.

LACK OF EXPERIENCE.

VERY OBVIOUS BIAS TOWARDS CONCLUSIONS.

IT'S HARD TO ARGUE THAT FOLKS SHOULD TAKE THIS SERIOUS BEFORE GOING OVER IT.

THAT'S A STANDARD PRACTICE.

GOOD TO SEE YOU.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>> THAT IS IT FOR NOW.

I'M TED SIMONS.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

YOU HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND.

COMING UP IN THE NEXT HALF HOUR OF LOCAL NEWS ON CRONKITE NEWS.

A STRIKE MEMBER OVERCOMES COVID-19 HOPING TO SHARE ANCESTRAL TRADITIONS, AND ATHLETES WHO STRUGGLE WITH LONG-HAUL COVID SYMPTOMS.